News : Sanctions

INU - Amid increasing tensions around the globe and speculation of changes in foreign pol-icy, President Trump met with senior military leaders on Thursday, calling it “the calm before the storm”.

When questioned about what he meant by his remark, he replied, “You’ll find out.”He said further, that the Pentagon brass in the room needed to offer him “a broad range of military options, when needed, at a much faster pace.”

According to reports, it is believed that next week the Iran nuclear deal will be scrapped, which will result in a new standoff between Iran and the U.S. In fact, the Washington Post reported that Trump was expected to “decertify” and denounce the ac-cord as not being in the U.S. national interest. This will pass the issue to Congress, triggering a 60-day period in which Congress must decide whether to impose sanctions on Iran.

Trump said that Iran should never get hold of nuclear weapons,the Guardian reported. “That is why we must put an end to Iran’s continued aggression and nuclear ambitions. You will be hearing about Iran very shortly.” The Guardian also said that Trump will overrule his top national security aides if he will not certify the 2015 international nu-clear deal with Iran.

Meanwhile, North Korea continues to develop its nuclear program, posing a threat to its immediate neighbors, as well as the U.S. Trump recently threatened to “totally destroy” the country if it attacks the U.S. or its allies. Tensions are likely to rise in the Gulf if Trump washes his hands of the nuclear agreement.

There is also concern in Washington, over retaliatory action for the deaths of three Green Berets in an ambushnear the Niger-Mali border, believed to have been carried out by Islamic State.

Trump reiterated his administration’s opposition to North Korean leader Kim Jong Un at the Thursday meeting, saying the U.S. would not “allow this dictatorship to threaten our nation or allies with unimaginable loss of life.” He also pledged to “do what we must do to prevent that from happening and it will be done, if necessary. Believe me.”

In a bid to end a dispute, the U.S. has also abandoned some military exercises with its Persian Gulf region allies, in an attempt to mitigate a diplomatic crisis that is targeting Qatar.